


Mountain Dawn

by iwaihajim



Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: Alternate Universe - Fantasy, Alternate Universe - Medieval, Dragons, Historical, Knights - Freeform, Kuroo is a dragon, M/M, Medieval Fantasy, Medieval Medicine, Multi, Romance, Slow Burn, can i make it any more obvious, tsukishima is a knight
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-06-03
Updated: 2020-06-03
Packaged: 2021-03-04 03:07:46
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,378
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24526615
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/iwaihajim/pseuds/iwaihajim
Summary: Tsukishima Kei has just completed his knighthood training when he is given an assignment - to obtain a piece of dragon's treasure. Instead of fighting, Tsukishima decides to negotiate. In exchange for the treasure, he must spend time with the dragon, coming up to visit each month.In the meantime, political unrest seeps throughout the kingdom. Right under the tyrant king's nose brews a rebellion, and Tsukishima, in the wrong place at the wrong time, is thrown directly in the middle of it.When he heard that knighthood would be difficult, Tsukishima could never imagine that it would be this difficult - juggling a secret mission, guarding duties, and, through it all, a burgeoning romance to a dragon, with whom a stubborn Tsukishima refuses to believe that he could possibly ever be together.
Relationships: Kuroo Tetsurou/Tsukishima Kei
Comments: 6
Kudos: 29





	Mountain Dawn

**Author's Note:**

> whooooo boy ok. this is going to be my first ever long fic and im rlly rlly hoping im not gonna give up on it like i did the others but im super excited for this so!! let's see where it takes us ig. also i dont live in medieval times so i did some research but i fudged some of the details it's whatever just ignore it. if you're a historian reading this...im so sorry
> 
> a big thank you to [lily](https://archiveofourown.org/users/tiredshimakei/pseuds/tiredshimakei), who keeps me going

Mountain Dawn

**September**

Barely seven minutes into the climb, Kei remembers exactly why he hated his knighthood training so much. Scaling up a mountain, even in the early morning before blistering heat sets in, is not exactly his idea of  _ fun.  _ The scenery of the trek alternates - initially a harrowingly fragile ridge with an unsurprising lack of handholds, the trail evens out first to a leisurely walk beside a river, then to a thick forest. 

Kei can’t help but doubt his mission, still not convinced that it won’t be completely futile. He would turn on his heel and march right back home, if he wasn’t so  afraid  wary of Commander Sawamura’s wrath when the captain learns about it. Under the relentless heat and humidity, Kei is resigned to carrying his helmet, his hair sweat-darkened and plastered to the sides of his face. After several hours, Kei is red-faced and panting, stopping to gulp water from a trickling rivulet that is reluctant to even be called a brook. 

In the shade of an oak tree, Kei polishes off the last of the hardtack and salted pork that Hitoka had very nicely packed for him (along with a scrap of cloth on which she had drawn a tiny stick-figure knight slaying a tiny dragon. Kei will never admit it, not even to Yamaguchi on pain of death, but he treasures those doodles).

He hopes that it isn’t much longer. The map, kindly provided by ex-adventurer-turned-innkeeper-slash-bartender Ukai, draws a winding path up to the summit. Kei knew beforehand that the mountain path is not for the faint of heart, but either Ukai has  _ way _ more endurance than he seemed to have, or he was lying to Kei when he said that it would be over before Kei knew it. Even Nishinoya and Tanaka, two mischievous senior-level knights, had assured Kei that the mountain had idyllic, scenic routes, even if it was all uphill. At least those two weren’t completely lying - in the midst of plotting all of their murders, Kei begrudgingly admires the beauty of nature around him. Even when he’s stumbling on rocks, trying not to set off a massive landslide, Kei can see plants fluttering with various colorful bugs. He wishes he had more time to stop and catalogue all these living creatures, but alas, Kei is on a deadline. 

It takes a horribly sweaty and grueling four hours, but Kei finally reaches the summit peak of the mountain. From this height, he can just about see the smudge that designates the town of Karasuno, tiny little houses with thatched roofs scattered around the night of Shiratorizawa castle. 

At the very top of the mountain, carved out of weathered stone as if it had been formed by the gods, is a cave. Even with the bright sunlight, the entrance is cloaked in shadow. Kei suspects magic, bolstering his assurance that he has stumbled upon the right cave. He has grown up alongside legends of the dragon residing on the mountaintop - a fearsome beast, terrific and merciless in battle, and a powerful wielder of magic. Out of a healthy dose of fear and respect, the town has not attempted to attack the dragon, but times have changed. Now, the king has demanded that a knight march right up to the great lizard and obtain treasure from it, in any way possible. 

The only indicator that the cave is occupied are the scattered remains of bones in the surrounding grass, leftover from the dragon’s meals. Kei can make out the unmistakable shape of rabbit vertebrae all curved together, as well as the remains of larger animals - a ram’s horn here, a cow femur there. Though he has never been devout, Kei sends a quick prayer to anyone who might be listening, in hopes that a deity will take pity on him and protect Kei from becoming just another set of bones on the dragon’s front doorstep. With that done, he takes a deep breath. 

“Hello? Anyone home?”

No response. Kei takes several steps forward until he is standing at the very mouth of the cave. Even the cave mouth is much bigger than it seems. Stalactites hang from the ceiling, slowly dripping water onto cone-shaped stalagmites on the ground. From what Kei can see, the cave branches much deeper into the mountain, but he feels no need to venture further into the belly of the beast.

He lays one hand on his sword hilt, and repeats the greeting. So help him, Kei thinks, he did not just waste an eight-hour roundabout journey just to discover that the dragon had rotted away since the last attempted champion. Kei is going to complete this task, even if it kills him and his stubborn pride. 

As if summoned by Kei’s thoughts, a roar shakes the cave, rattling the loose rocks on the ground. One lucky pebble breaks away and tumbles down the mountain toward freedom. Kei watches it mournfully before he sighs and sticks his helmet back on, flipping the visor over his face in case the dragon decides to lash out claws first. As a precaution, he steps out of the cave and into the safety of the afternoon sunlight. 

“I hear you, thanks. Just a simple ‘hello’ would’ve sufficed,” he says dryly, in response to the monstrous growl. “You are the dragon, yes? Don’t roar again, though, please, once was enough,” he adds hastily. Silence, but Kei thinks he could sense the quiet almost...thickening, as if he could perhaps feel that the dragon is hovering near the entrance, observing. Or, maybe it was gearing up to cook him to a shish-Kei-bab. Haha. Ugh, Kei was spending too much time around Hinata.

“I’ll just keep talking,” Kei says after a moment, when it is clear that the dragon isn’t going to melt his armor off. “I have no intentions of fighting you. I was wondering if we could trade, or I could pay you, for one of your gems. Nothing flashy, just some rock or other that you wouldn’t mind parting with. Price negotiable.”

More silence, and then – the telltale heavy, thumping footsteps of an overgrown winged lizard. The dragon is  _ enormous _ ; Kei can hardly believe that such a beast fits into the cave, even as spacious as it seems to the human, but he supposes that magic has a heavy hand in this. The dragon is black, but the red scales on its chest leading to its belly have a sheen that catches and reflects the light, turning its underbelly a pinkish color. Two sets of horns jut out of its head, and spikes decorate its muzzle. Through his terror, Kei can appreciate the beauty of such a creature. Beautiful, but deadly.

“Can you understand human speech?” Kei ventures, after both of them have looked their fill. He lifts his visor and takes his hand off his sword, raising both palms to show he means no harm. The dragon nods, either in response to Kei’s question or his unspoken declaration of peace.

“As I said, I am a knight. I have been tasked with retrieving a piece of dragon treasure. I am prepared to part with a number of coin in exchange for it,” he explains again, trying to watch the dragon’s face for its reaction. “I mean you and your hoard no harm,” Kei promises.

The dragon stares at him unblinkingly. It suddenly turns around and retreats back into the cave, nearly whacking Kei in the head with its massive spiked tail. Kei watches, his mouth gaping open a little. Was that it? Several hours of climbing wasted because the dragon decides that a nap would be more fulfilling? Before Kei can turn around and head down the mountain while planning what he is going to say to Commander Sawamura, a man emerges from the cave entrance.

“What’s your name?“ asks the strange man, peering into Kei’s face. He hums and does a slow circle around Kei as the knight introduces himself, rather stiffly. When he tries to turn and follow, he is reprimanded and told to stay still. Kei has never heard of a dragon being able to shapeshift into a human. It could be that he is some poor squire that the dragon had captured to polish his jewelry, or whatever it is that dragons do in their free time, but somehow Kei doubts it. 

“Will you tell me your name, or shall I just refer to you as Rooster-Head?” Kei snaps finally, after an eternity of being stared at. To be fair, the man did have one of, if not  _ the _ , most impressive bedheads Kei had ever seen. 

“Rude, Tsukki!”  _ Tsukki?  _ “You can’t waltz into  _ my  _ cave, demand one of  _ my  _ treasures, and then insult me!” Ah, so this man is the dragon after all. Kei supposes he can see the similarities. Like the dragon, the man has the same light brown eyes with thin pupils. Even his hair seems to be spiked in a way reminiscent of the dragon’s horns. Kei burns with curiosity, wanting to know how he achieved his transformation into a human appearance.

“My name is Kuroo, Kuroo Tetsurou,” the dragon continues blithely. Having gotten introductions out of the way, Kei attempts to steer them back on task. “ _ As I mentioned _ , I am a knight, and my rite of passage is to acquire treasure from a dragon. I am willing to pay you for –“

“Yes, you said all that already,” Kuroo said, waving a bored hand. “What if I’m a terrible dragon with no treasure? Alternatively, what if I’m a possessive dragon that will torch you for even breathing in my treasure’s direction?”

“If it’s the second option, you would not have bothered to hear me out and I would have already been turned into your next meal,” Kei says, chillingly. “If it’s the first option, I suppose I have misjudged you, then.”

“Ah, so you deem me a dragon that has acquired a lot of treasure over the years, hm?” Kuroo says, laughing, though the sound is more of an inelegant snort. Kei kind of hates him already. Once again, he tries to reach for the pouch at his side, jangling with coin. “No, I don’t want your money,” Kuroo says, stretching his arms over his head. For the first time, Kei notices that he was dressed in a baggy white linen shirt tucked under a leather waistcoat, and leggings. He didn’t expect a shapeshifting dragon to dress so…for lack of a better word,  _ normal, _ Kei muses, wondering where a dragon could have gotten clothes from.

“If you don’t want my money, then what is it that you want?” Kei bursts out, frustrated. He usually prides himself on being aloof and calm (especially around the boisterous Hinata and Kageyama), but this strange dragon had managed to crawl under his skin – rather easily, in fact. He hates it.

“It gets lonely up here on the mountain,” - Kuroo begins, ignoring Kei’s mutter of, “Maybe then don’t try and scare all your friends away,” – “In exchange for one of my gems, you have to come back and visit me. For several hours at a time, at least.”

“How often?” Kei asks warily. This was really all the dragon wanted? Just to go and talk to him? The several hours part - that would have to be brought down. 

“Once a week,” Kuroo declares.

Kei stares at the shapeshifter blankly. “I can’t sacrifice one day a week to climb up and down a mountain,” he says, irritated. “Did you forget that I can’t just fly up here? I can visit several times a year.”

“Once a month?”

Kei mulls this over. “I can come up once a month,” he says slowly. Knighthood, though difficult, granted him some perks, one of which being a free weekend a month. Many knights use this weekend to visit their families, but Kei - well. Anyways. It’s not like he has anything better to do on those days.

“So it’s settled,” Kuroo says, “In exchange for my treasure, you will visit me once a month, for no less than two hours at a time.” He holds out a hand to shake. Tired of negotiating, Kei takes the time to peel off his right gauntlet before meeting Kuroo’s hand. Kuroo’s hand is warm and dry, and he has a hint of scales climbing up his wrist, partially covered by his shirtsleeve. There are scales around his cuticles as well, Kei notices, that frame claw-like nails. As soon as their hands meet, Kuroo hisses something under his breath, and their hands are enveloped in a dark red light, a stark contrast against pale skin. Kei tries to yank his hand back on instinct, but Kuroo’s grip is tight and unyielding. “Relax,” he murmurs, as the glow seems to sink into Kei’s skin. It doesn’t hurt, but it tickles a little, goosebumps raising on Kei’s arms in response.

“It’s a binding spell, to make sure you keep your word,” Kuroo explains, finally pulling away. The strange light has left behind a red string wrapped around Kei’s thin wrist, which he brings up to his face to examine more closely. For all intents and purposes, it looks like a regular piece of thread, and Kei angles his curious glance back at the dragon. Kuroo hosts the same red string wrapped around his right wrist. “It’s a promise thread. If you break your promise, it falls off, and you suffer the consequences of the spell.”

“What are the consequences?” Kei wonders, picking a little at the bracelet. Though the string is tied loosely enough to be comfortable, it tightens when he tugs at it to pull it off. He has a feeling that it would be impervious to any efforts to cut it off or untie it, so he doesn’t bother to check. 

“Well, you won’t break your promise, so don’t worry about it,” Kuroo replies cheerfully. He holds out one arm to show Kei a matching thread, answering the unspoken question there. “This one is a promise that I will not harm you in any possible way.”

Kei could admit that he likes the failsafe, but he certainly didn’t expect the dragon to make a promise to him, as well.

“Now, I suppose you’ll need something to show for this journey, hmm?” He shakes his arm, and out of his shirtsleeve tumbles out several precious-looking gemstones, ones that Kei has only seen before in books.

Kuroo sends him back down the mountain with a fresh waterskin, a handful of jerky, and the treasure nestled safely in his coin pouch.

Still, Kei can’t shake the feeling that the jewels were not the most important thing, to him at least, on that mountain top. At least his commander will be pleased with the tangible success of Kei’s quest.

-

Daichi tells Kei that he’s proud of him, and Kei resolutely does not smile, blush, or, lord above,  _ cry. _ He takes his time peeling off his armor and scrubbing himself clean in the bath, and hopes that by the time that he gets to the local tavern, everyone is too drunk to notice his arrival. After all, Yamaguchi would have his head if Kei didn’t go and “celebrate” his official knighthood, but that does not mean that Kei will enjoy it in the slightest. 

Kei’s hopes are dashed. The minute he steps foot into the pub, there is a raucous and resounding cheer echoing from the corner occupied by the other knights. Even Ukai, the bartender, congratulates him, telling Kei that his drinks are on the house tonight. At the table, Yamaguchi obediently shoves over to make room for Kei, and a tankard of foaming ale is slid in front of him while several hands are busy thumping him on the back in congratulations. 

“Tsukki! How was the dragon? Was it  _ suuper _ scary!?” Hinata burbles, pitching himself forward across the table to shout at Kei, who is unwittingly reminded of how the dragon –  _ Kuroo, _ his brain supplies – called him by the same nickname, mere hours ago. Hinata is pulled back easily by his tunic by Sugawara, the tiny redhead nearly landing face-first in his pitcher of beer. When he comes up, his face is flushed with the tinge of alcohol. How long had the rest of the knights been here?

“He was fine. I didn’t have to fight, we worked out a compromise,” Kei answers, taking a sip of his own drink. It’s lukewarm but still good, cooling his body in the persistent heat that lingers even after sundown. “Let’s see the treasure!” Nishinoya enthuses, purposefully avoiding Asahi’s panicked expression as he tries to silently tell Noya to leave Kei alone. Kei appreciates this, but even he knows that there is no avoiding Nishinoya, especially when his best friend Tanaka is involved, and the two of them are clamoring to see the dragon’s gift.

Reluctantly, Kei pulls out the gem hidden in his pouch. He wanted to relinquish it to the commander, but Daichi insisted that it was his reward to keep. To be honest, Kei would rather be rewarded with money, or something. What the hell is he supposed to do with a gleaming dark blue jewel?

It seems to almost pulse with magic the minute he drops the gem into Nishinoya’s eager palm. At the same time, the gem glows a little brighter, and Nishinoya gives a yelp of pain, dropping the jewel onto the wooden table. It sits there innocuously, barely the size of Kei’s thumb, as Nishinoya whimpers that it stung him. Everyone in their corner of the pub is now staring at the jewel, and Kei scoops it up quickly. It doesn’t hurt him like it hurt Nishinoya. Several knights voice their speculations about the properties of the jewel, but that discussion goes nowhere and so the conversation moves on.

Still, Kei can’t help but wonder…

The next day finds Kei at the table of the only smithery in town, with Kozume Kenma carefully examining the crystal – sapphire, he claims. “I can tell you that it has magic,” the jeweler says finally, over the sound of Taketora the blacksmith hammering a sword into shape. Kei nods – he suspected so already, but it is nice to have his thoughts confirmed by a professional. “This kingdom has not had any magic-wielders in many years,” Kenma says, “so there is no one to whom I can recommend you visit over the actual properties in the jewel. However, for a fee, we can make it into a protective pendant for you.” Kenma peers up at Kei beneath the curtains of his dark hair. “That might be wise,” Kei admits to the jeweler, who nods. After all, the sapphire had stung Nishinoya, but had no effect on Kei himself. Even Kozume was briefly shocked when he reached out to touch the gem with his bare finger for curiosity before he brought out his leather gloves and technical equipment, the better which to handle the unstable sapphire.

A handful of coins and a promise to come back in several hours for his newly completed pendant later, Kei is free to do as he pleases before he is given his next assignment. He doesn’t have to wait long for this – the knighthood second-in-command finds Kei in the town’s sparse library, pouring over a manuscript.

“Tsukishima, may we speak?”

Kei rises fluidly, carefully marking his spot in the manuscript with a scrap piece of parchment before placing it back on the shelf. “Of course, Sir Sugawara. What is it?”

As they make their way back to the knights’ barracks, Sugawara Koushi explains Kei’s new job. “You will be moving into Shiratorizawa Castle as one of Princess Kiyoko’s guards,” Sugawara says, and Kei nearly stops dead in his tracks in shock. “But…I have only recently completed training. Shouldn’t someone with more experience be handling the princess?” Kei asks, his brows pinched together in confusion. Sugawara shakes his head as they halt in front of the door to the knights’ sleeping quarters. “King Washijou has recently sent out many of our best men to, ah, check up on the neighboring towns. It seems that there have been some disturbances out west.”

So, the king was fearful of an uprising and sent knights to bully the rest of the kingdom into submission. Kei hums a little to acknowledge Sugawara’s explanation. “You will be accompanied by Kageyama as the princess’s knight guards. Tadashi and Hinata will be her guards during the day.”

Kei bites back his instinctive protest, but he cannot hide the flinch of disgust from Sugawara at the sound of his partner. The silver-haired knight chuckles, patting Kei on the shoulder. “I know you and Kageyama are not the best of friends, but I hope I can trust you to be professional in your assignment.” Meaning: if Kei slacks off or fights with Kageyama, the second-in-command will make him sprint laps in his armor until his legs fall off. Though Sugawara has a kindly disposition, his eyes gleam with cleverness. Kei has learned the hard way now to go against his wishes. Kei nods, dipping his head and uttering a stiff gratitude to Sugawara, who just laughs and reaches up to ruffle Kei’s hair.

-

The first several days of Kei’s princess-guarding duties go fairly smoothly, besides several blunders of Kageyama’s (including one memorable exchange between a cool-headed Kiyoko and a blushing, stammering, and falling-over-himself Kageyama). Kei settles into a routine – sleeping from the end of his shift at dawn until the late afternoon, eating dinner with the other knights, sometimes with time to spare afterwards to read, and trading shifts with Yamaguchi and Hinata to guard the doors to Princess Kiyoko’s quarters. As promised, Kozume had transformed the sapphire into a pendant (Kei is reluctant to call it a necklace; he had his pride, after all), and he wears it around his neck always.

It is on one of his nighttime shifts that Kei regrets ever stepping foot away from the princess’s chambers.

The night sky is cloudless, moonlight filtering in through the windows of the stone castle. Luckily, it was still early autumn, and the nights were not bitterly cold like they would be in several weeks – months, if they were lucky. Kei stands motionless but alert in front of the doors, behind which Princess Kiyoko is sleeping. “Do you hear that?” hisses Kageyama, out of nowhere. Kei shushes him with a finger on his lips, tilting his head forward to hear whispers in the opposite corridor. “Stay here,” he mouths to Kageyama, who scowls but stays put. Kei places one hand on his sword hilt and creeps around the corner.

The castle at nighttime is very different than during the day. The echoing corridors do nothing to conceal footsteps, even as Kei tries his best to make his feet land softly on the stone floors. During the day, the hallways are filled with bustling nobles, making it their business to gossip and giggle and poke their noses into where they don’t belong. As darkness drapes like a heavy blanket over the castle, the halls are eerily empty, each twitch of a curtain or shadow of a statue becoming a possible enemy intruder.

Two of the crown prince’s advisors, Semi Eita and Tendou Satori, are standing just beyond the corner, conspiring. Their voices are soft, but Kei picks up phrases of, “…the towns…overtaxed…rebellion…the king…tyrant…”

Kei bites back a gasp of surprise, suddenly glad that it is he and not Kageyama investigating the noise. The black-haired knight could not be paid to keep his mouth shut in the best of cases. Kei isn’t stupid – he has seen the simmering unrest in the town, King Washijo’s subjects apathetic to his rule at best and furious at worst. The King is cruel and controlling, squeezing tax money out of the townspeople like he is trying to wring blood out of a turnip.

Unfortunately, Kei has lingered for too long in his head. Either the gleam of his armor under the moonlight, or too loud of an exhale, alert the subjects of his spying. Semi and Tendou turn as one to spot Kei lurking in the corridor, both of them drawing knives. Kei puts his hands up, the universal sign of surrender, and the two lower their weapons but remain on their guard, tense and glancing around.

“It’s just me. The other guard is at the door to the princess’s room,” he says, voice soft to unintentionally match the heavy atmosphere _.  _ Semi nods at Tendou, who slides closer to Kei, and Kei’s eyes flit to the knife held loosely in his grip. If it came to it, Kei thinks, he doubts he would be able to draw his sword before Tendou or Semi land a hit on him – though, he has his armor to deflect a blow, hopefully giving him time to draw his weapon.

“What is it that you heard?” Tendou prompts, twirling his bronze knife between his fingers, almost lazily. Kei isn’t fooled by the easy motion.

“Nothing,” Kei lies, making eye contact with Tendou. The red-haired man’s smile is steel, and Kei suddenly realizes  _ why _ , exactly, Prince Ushijima had chosen Tendou as his right-hand man. Though wild and brash, Tendou is unnervingly cunning when he needs to be.

“We don’t want to hurt anyone, especially a knight,” Semi says, his tone almost bored, but his eyes are sharp and don’t give anything away. Kei sighs. “You’re planning to overthrow the king. Under his rule, the kingdom is being driven to ruin.”

Tendou and Semi have another silent exchange, which only serves to further irritate Kei.

“We’ll discuss this further another time. We’ll send a representative to meet with you,” Tendou decides, leering a little at the knight. Now that he has been alerted to the cause, Kei supposes, it’s likely that the group will stop at nothing to get his support, or his eternal silence on the matter.

Semi says, “You should get back to work. We don’t have to remind you to keep quiet on this, do we?” 

Kei’s childhood, he was crippled with insomnia. It’s no surprise that sleeplessness plagues him again that morning when he settles into bed, thoughts of dragons and rebellions swirling through his mind. 

**Author's Note:**

> follow me on [twitter!](https://twitter.com/cockatoshi)  
> kudos & comments are my lifeblood. updates will be sporadic but ill try to keep posting often :-)


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